304 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [OCTOBER 
trunk had been sawed off many years previously. Adventitious sprouts 
had grown out at the top and around the edges of the stump, and had 
formed a complete circle of stout limbs. In time these limbs will completely 
heal over the cut surface so as almost to obliterate the wound. The woo 
of the stump soon decays, however, and into this decaying mass there 
Project dense mats of adventitious roots which spring from the point of 
origin of the limbs. These roots descend through the decaying materials 
and often, upon reaching the harder, less decayed wood of the lower part 
of the stump, turn sharply back and grow upward even to the point of 
origin. Fine fibrous roots may be found working down into the harder 
Portions. Fig. 1 shows a portion of a tree which had broken off about 
six feet from the ground ; the roots shown are about two feet long. Fig. 2 
shows a limb that had broken off from a stump. The bent roots in the 
center were originally so sharply bent as to bring the parts parallel, but 
were separated for photographing. It will also be seen from this photo- 
graph that adventitious roots may arise from any part of the inner wall 
of the decaying stump.—O. M. BALL, College Station, Texas. 
